If Kate Bush is number 1 on friday, that will be a gap of over 44 years since her previous number 1, Wuthering Heights, march 1978.

 

Is that the longest for any artist?

I think the current record is 43 years for Tom Jones (1966-2009), unless anyone can think of someone else?

And actually that wasn’t quite 43 years, more like just over 42 years

I was going to say Tom Jones. In fact, Green Green Grass Of Home vacated #1 in Jan 1967, 42 years and 2 months before Islands In The Stream got there, so Kate will beat that by 2 years as Wuthering Heights left #1 at the start of April 1978.

IIRC the record for the longest SPAN of number ones is Elvis (just under 48 years) - so Kate isn’t too far off that either!

On Friday, Kate will also have the UK's most Years between a 1st and 2nd No.1 Single.

 

Tom Jones only had 1 Year and 9 Months between his 1st, (March 1965), and 2nd,

(December 1966), UK No.1 Singles.

Edited June 15, 20223 yr by zeus555

Who had that record before? (Obviously not Tom Jones)

I would guess either George Harrison or Leo Sayer, depending whether you count My Sweet Lord as a #1 once or twice.

Hooray for that argument (that no one was having) being ended by this then!